Best of USA (Start New York City)

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NYC, Vegas, San Fran & LA - you're not just seeing the best of the USA, you're seeing some of the best cities in the world. And you're doing it the very best way. Drink champagne during a limo ride through Vegas, see a bounty of quirk on Venice Beach, cross the Golden Gate Bridge & shop up a storm on Fifth Ave.

NYC, Vegas, San Fran & LA - you're not just seeing the best of the USA, you're seeing some of the best cities in the world. And you're doing it the very best way. Drink champagne during a limo ride through Vegas, see a bounty of quirk on Venice Beach, cross the Golden Gate Bridge & shop up a storm on Fifth Ave.

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Accomodation

End

19 nights:
We always provide comfortable accommodation in a relaxed atmosphere - think comfy, centrally located hotels, comfy pillows and the best crew to travel with.

TEAM

Don't worry, your Trip Manager and Driver will show you the ropes, not to mention all your new travel mates. Whether providing local knowledge or lols, our team members are people you can trust.

FOOD

14 meals:
We'll get 11 of your meals and you get the rest. You can refuel over breakfast and grab some authentic American dinners from us but you'll also get an opportunity to sample some of this country's best eats. Chow down on everything from fast food to gourmet fare.

INCLUSIONS

The coolest thing about travelling with Contiki is all the extra stuff included while you’re cruising through the Land of the Free. Say hello to the Big Apple, tour Wall Street and Ground Zero, and then grab some Instagram-worthy snaps from the top of the Empire State building. Before you know it you'll be drinking champagne in a Las Vegas limousine and getting down with the hippie vibes in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco.

ME TIME

With Contiki, there's plenty of time to relax and do your own thing, but for travellers seeking a little extra, we've also got plenty activities to fill your ME Time. Whether you want to bike around New York's Central Park, ride the rollercoasters at Disneyland or go on a party club crawl in LA, we'll sort you out.

TRANSPORT

When you're not jet-setting between iconic American cities, you'll be riding in style on our Contiki coach. You can sit back and relax while we do sightseeing tours of all the major cities.

ITINERARY

YOU WILL VISIT

United StatesUnited States+5 MORE

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APPROX TIME SPENT

approx time spent

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2

3

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5

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7

8

9

New York City

8 days

Las Vegas

9 days

San Francisco

9 days

Los Angeles

9 days

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2

3

4

5

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9

DAY 1:
Arrive New York City

New York City

Welcome to the Big Apple - the concrete jungle that dreams are made of! Pinch yourself though, because you’re not dreaming: those yellow cabs, Brooklyn hipsters and bagel delis actually do exist in real life, and with your seven-day travel pass, the whole city is at your fingertips.

New York City

DAY 2:
New York City

New York City

Start your day with a stroll over the historic Brooklyn Bridge, then hit the Lower East Side and take in some immigration history at the Tenement Museum. Grab a gourmet bite to eat at the famous Chelsea Market or opt to channel New Yorks most famous foursome on a Sex and the City tour, then perhaps hit trendy Williamsburg or the East Village to check out some impressive urban street art. Then it's another one for the bucket list - we're heading to the most famous New York landmark, the Empire State Building. With an uninterrupted view of the concrete jungle lit up like a Christmas tree, that's one big tick off the ever growing list.

INCLUSIONS

Visit the Statue of Liberty

ME TIME

NYC Food Cart Tour

USD $43.00

'Gossip Girl' Tour

USD $41.00

The Ride

TMZ Tour

New York City

DAY 3:
New York City

New York City

HELLOOOOO BIG APPLE! Let’s get you somewhat more familiar with this place by opening up New York Manhattan. Museum Row includes all the most prestigious NYC galleries and historical museums and you will get to see it all. Shop till you drop on Fifth Avenue or take a spin over this huge city island in a chopper for the best possible view.

INCLUSIONS

See Wall Street and the NYSE

See Museum Row including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Guggenheim Museum

See the famous neighbourhoods of New York such as Soho, Greenwich Village and TriBeCa

ME TIME

Helicopter - Big Apple

USD $135.00

Helicopter - New York, New York

USD $194.00

Group Photo

USD $15.00

New York City

DAY 4:
New York City

New York City

The Statue of Liberty is one of the world’s most recognisable icons - how many times have you seen her on the TV or in the movies? Well today if you're turn to see her for real, on us of course, and then you are free to roam wonderful New York. Peddle through Central Park, explore Greenwich Village or Soho, have a street vendor make you a hot dog - this place is just so vast and diverse. Foodies could take to the streets for a food cart walking tour, so keeping hungry is essential as you munch your way around the city on foot, or channel your inner Upper West-sider with a Gossip Girl tour. No matter what you choose to do, try and take in as much as possible because there's nothing like seeing NYC for the very first time.

INCLUSIONS

Visit the Statue of Liberty

ME TIME

NYC Food Cart Tour

USD $43.00

'Gossip Girl' Tour

USD $41.00

New York City

DAY 5:
New York City to Las Vegas

New York City

Get ready to arrive in larger-than-life Las Vegas – a man-made entertainment oasis smack in the middle of the desert. Often dubbed Sin City, it’s all about glitz, neon lights, and excess.
See the bright lights of this city and its world-famous casinos in a first taste of Vegas kitsch as the group heads down the main drag, the “Strip”, and your Tour Manager fills you in on the story behind Vegas.
After dinner, cruise to downtown’s Fremont Street and experience a slice of the spectacular at a light and laser show in a massive pedestrian mall.

With two free days, you’ve got time to get a real feel for this outrageous town, so keep an eye out for Elvis impersonators and fast-paced chapel weddings!
Explore more of the Strip and check out over-the-top versions of international icons, like the Eiffel Tower, Venetian canals and gondolas, a Roman temple or the pyramid, whose nightlight can be seen from the moon. Try your luck at one of the casinos and sit yourself down at a blackjack table with the high-rollers. For a different kind of thrill you can visit a Strip-view roller coaster or sky-high theme park. If you work up an appetite, tuck into an all you can eat buffet or eat from the kitchen of a celebrity chef.
Discover the quirky side of Las Vegas’ at the Neon Museum and for a look into this town’s atomic heyday in the 50s, visit the Atomic Testing Museum.
If you just want to relax, position yourself poolside back at the hotel and soak up the Las Vegas sun.
There’s a chance to discover the mind-blowing landscape of the Grand Canyon, one of the world’s most recognizable natural wonders, in a fantastic optional helicopter flight.
See an optional variety show with the group then get some pointers on Las Vegas’ hot spots from your Trip Manager before your included limo ride; whatever you do make the most of this towns’ 24/7 action with some of your new friends.

With two free days, you’ve got time to get a real feel for this outrageous town, so keep an eye out for Elvis impersonators and fast-paced chapel weddings!
Explore more of the Strip and check out over-the-top versions of international icons, like the Eiffel Tower, Venetian canals and gondolas, a Roman temple or the pyramid, whose nightlight can be seen from the moon. Try your luck at one of the casinos and sit yourself down at a blackjack table with the high-rollers. For a different kind of thrill you can visit a Strip-view roller coaster or sky-high theme park. If you work up an appetite, tuck into an all you can eat buffet or eat from the kitchen of a celebrity chef.
Discover the quirky side of Las Vegas’ at the Neon Museum and for a look into this town’s atomic heyday in the 50s, visit the Atomic Testing Museum.
If you just want to relax, position yourself poolside back at the hotel and soak up the Las Vegas sun.
There’s a chance to discover the mind-blowing landscape of the Grand Canyon, one of the world’s most recognizable natural wonders, in a fantastic optional helicopter flight.
See an optional variety show with the group then get some pointers on Las Vegas’ hot spots from your Trip Manager before your included limo ride; whatever you do make the most of this towns’ 24/7 action with some of your new friends.

This morning, you board the flight for San Francisco. Cosmopolitan and creative, San Francisco is packed with characters, free-thinkers, and artists. You’ll see the signs of its recent history where it served as the center for Beatnik and Hippy cultures.
Get familiar with this buzzing city as your Tour Manager shows you around San Francisco’s key sights. Walk across San Francisco’s landmark suspension bridge, the Golden Gate. We stop off at Fisherman’s Wharf for a slice of the historic waterfront lifestyle, where you can order some fresh fish or crab from sidewalk stands. You’ll also check out the city’s iconic row houses on Alamo Square.
Thriving with activity, Chinatown is a fun, kitsch experience. Tonight, your Tour Manager will take you there to see its hidden spots. Learn about the history of the gold rush as you walk through the bustling district, past traditional herb shops, Buddha’s and flashing neon lights. Then eat together at one of its authentic restaurants.

San Francisco

DAYS 11-12:
San Francisco

San Francisco

With 2 full days here, get a real feel for San Francisco and its hilly streets. Chalk up a local experience by jumping on a cable car and exploring the city. If you’ve booked ahead of time, catch a ferry out to Alcatraz, the former island jail that once held A-list criminals like Al “Scarface” Capone, Soviet spies and crime bosses. Walk around the old cells and get the background on these bad boys.
You could turn back the clock to the “Summer of Love” with a visit to cool Haight-Ashbury, the center point of 1960s alternative culture. Once packed with 75000 hippies, it now has chilled-out cafes, record stores, second hand clothes shops and bookstores to rummage through.
With over 3000 places to eat and drink, San Francisco has endless choices. Head to the city’s gritty Latin American quarter, Mission District, for Mexican tacos or El Salvadorian pupusas (corn flat breads stuffed with cheese, pork or beans) or hit North Beach for some Italian.
Tonight there’s an included sunset sail out on San Francisco’s famous bay.

ME TIME

Bike and Roll San Francisco

USD $42.00

California Academy of Sciences

USD $30.00

Chinatown Dinner

USD $25.00

San Francisco Bike Tour

San Francisco

DAYS 13-14:
San Francisco

San Francisco

With 2 full days here, get a real feel for San Francisco and its hilly streets. Chalk up a local experience by jumping on a cable car and exploring the city. If you’ve booked ahead of time, catch a ferry out to Alcatraz, the former island jail that once held A-list criminals like Al “Scarface” Capone, Soviet spies and crime bosses. Walk around the old cells and get the background on these bad boys.
You could turn back the clock to the “Summer of Love” with a visit to cool Haight-Ashbury, the center point of 1960s alternative culture. Once packed with 75000 hippies, it now has chilled-out cafes, record stores, second hand clothes shops and bookstores to rummage through.
With over 3000 places to eat and drink, San Francisco has endless choices. Head to the city’s gritty Latin American quarter, Mission District, for Mexican tacos or El Salvadorian pupusas (corn flat breads stuffed with cheese, pork or beans) or hit North Beach for some Italian.
Tonight there’s an included sunset sail out on San Francisco’s famous bay.

ME TIME

Bike and Roll San Francisco

USD $42.00

California Academy of Sciences

USD $30.00

Chinatown Dinner

USD $25.00

San Francisco Bike Tour

San Francisco

DAY 15:
San Francisco to Los Angeles

San Francisco

This morning hop a flight to the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles.
After that you head to mythical Hollywood, the holy ground for the stars. Check out the Kodak Theatre, where the Oscars are held every year and the Chinese Theatre, where so many greats have pressed their hands into the famous cement stars.
You’ll cruise down the hottest shopping street in LA, Melrose Avenue, and one of the best areas for nightlife, the Sunset Strip with its billboards, clubs and eateries. Your Tour Manager will give you the background on the who’s who of Hollywood and a glimpse of one of the world’s wealthiest suburbs in Beverly Hills.
A little further west and you arrive in Santa Monica, LA’s oldest beach resort. Known for its liberal vibes, art galleries and wide sand beaches, Santa Monica is all about the California lifestyle. Your Tour Manager will give you some history on the city and show you the famous pier, which serves as a permanent amusement park, complete with a solar powered Ferris wheel.
Later, we travel to LA’s quirkiest suburb where anything goes: Venice Beach. A favourite hang out spot for locals, colourful Venice Beach attracts all sorts of people. Get a feel for street life when you hit the buzzing boardwalk, where performers, tattoo artists, hair braiders, musicians and roller-blader’s gather. Make sure you check out the markets and stalls, as well as the greased-up body builders pumping iron at Muscle Beach, the famous open air gym.
Tonight party in L.A.'s hippest new hot-spot. Downtown has reinvested in it's social and cultural centre to create an amazing variety of clubs, pubs, cafes and bars for any taste and sensibility.

ME TIME

Bike and Roll San Francisco

USD $42.00

California Academy of Sciences

USD $30.00

Chinatown Dinner

USD $25.00

San Francisco Bike Tour

Los Angeles

DAYS 16-17:
Los Angeles

Los Angeles

In your free time, explore more of this colourful metropolis. LA has it all when it comes to shopping. Hit the boutiques of Melrose Ave or window-shop the designer stores of Rodeo Drive. Visit the Fashion Museum for inspiration and see famous outfits from movies on display, then hunt down some funky threads and interesting materials in the Garment District.
This city has food as diverse as its residents – you can find anything from burgers or tacos at a pavement stand to sushi in Little Tokyo, so make sure you make the most of this cultural melting pot.
For some all-American sports, check to see if any basketball, baseball, soccer or football games are on while you’re in town.
Spend a fun day exploring the world-famous theme parks of LA.
Get inside Walt Disney’s magical imagination at Disneyland, where you can experience different theme zones and rides like Indiana Jones or Pirates of the Caribbean. For a behind-the-scenes look at movie making, head to Universal Studios and enjoy the thrills of this park’s film-themed rides.
Otherwise, have a look at the Hollywood Bowl programme, pack a picnic and head to an outdoor summer concert or hang out with some of your new friends in the funky bars and live music clubs of Hollywood.

ME TIME

Contiki Apparel - Sunglasses

Contiki Apparel - Tank Top

Contiki Apparel - T-Shirt

Contiki Water Bottles

Disneyland Transfer Only

USD $42.00

Disneyland Transfer Pick a Park

USD $139

Disneyland Transfer with Park Hopper

USD $185

Grammy Museum

USD $11.00

Hollywood Club Crawl

USD $23.00

Hollywood Walking Tour

USD $18.00

Starline Hop-On/ Hop-Off 24 hour

USD $38.00

TMZ Hollywood Tour

Tour Stars Homes

USD $46.00

Universal Studios

USD $86.00

Los Angeles

DAYS 18-19:
Los Angeles

Los Angeles

In your free time, explore more of this colourful metropolis. LA has it all when it comes to shopping. Hit the boutiques of Melrose Ave or window-shop the designer stores of Rodeo Drive. Visit the Fashion Museum for inspiration and see famous outfits from movies on display, then hunt down some funky threads and interesting materials in the Garment District.
This city has food as diverse as its residents – you can find anything from burgers or tacos at a pavement stand to sushi in Little Tokyo, so make sure you make the most of this cultural melting pot.
For some all-American sports, check to see if any basketball, baseball, soccer or football games are on while you’re in town.
Spend a fun day exploring the world-famous theme parks of LA.
Get inside Walt Disney’s magical imagination at Disneyland, where you can experience different theme zones and rides like Indiana Jones or Pirates of the Caribbean. For a behind-the-scenes look at movie making, head to Universal Studios and enjoy the thrills of this park’s film-themed rides.
Otherwise, have a look at the Hollywood Bowl programme, pack a picnic and head to an outdoor summer concert or hang out with some of your new friends in the funky bars and live music clubs of Hollywood.

ME TIME

Contiki Apparel - Sunglasses

Contiki Apparel - Tank Top

Contiki Apparel - T-Shirt

Contiki Water Bottles

Disneyland Transfer Only

USD $42.00

Disneyland Transfer Pick a Park

USD $139

Disneyland Transfer with Park Hopper

USD $185

Grammy Museum

USD $11.00

Hollywood Club Crawl

USD $23.00

Hollywood Walking Tour

USD $18.00

Starline Hop-On/ Hop-Off 24 hour

USD $38.00

TMZ Hollywood Tour

Tour Stars Homes

USD $46.00

Universal Studios

USD $86.00

Los Angeles

DAY 20:
Depart Los Angeles

Los Angeles

Can it really be over? Our adventure ends this morning, so swap those social deets and make plans for the big reunion trip. America, it's been real.

I was not overly happy with the tour, I believe if I put some thought and research into it I could have worked out a better program and for cheaper. Although you pay contiki straight up it really is just your hotels flights and transfers some cities you will get a public transport card only worth a few bucks they tell you there are a lot of inclusions but there really isn't . It is good to be in a group as you meet lots of new great people and feel safer. Don't get me wrong it was great but do your homework you may be able to do it better exactly how you want it. Also don't be fooled by Contiki excursions you can arrange your own that are just as good for a cheaper price the states can be expensive and don't be afraid to do your own thing without the group.

This tour was great, you got plenty of time in the greatest cities in the US. The flights were a great way to gain extra time, but the group connection/bonding time was lost by not having a coach.
The hotels are a bit better than what they are normally for a Contiki, as mentioned by our tour manager, they are more 3.5 - 4, which they really were.
You got plenty of time to do your own thing as well as planned activities. Made life long friends on this trip.
Disneyland, Universial... all arranged and transfers provided!

Day 1: NYC. The meet up meeting where you just get talked at by your tour guide goes for a few hours, get comfortable!! This needs to be shorter, or given to us by email or something before the first night. Most of us wanted to get to activities, not waste time listening to a lot of stuff we may have already known. This time would be great for some team bonding/getting to know each other activities or something!
Dinner in Times Square (included) is quite good, however, because you haven't yet met anyone, it can be a bit difficult to meet many people yet as you're all sitting on different tables. The bar we went to this night was great, really chilled out and pretty cheap! Good to start getting to know the group.
Day 2: NYC. The breakfast place in New York is pretty damn shitty, "Marche Madison", this could probably be changed with literally ANYTHING else in Manhattan and it would be an improvement. Too bad the most breakfasts on this tour are all four days in NYC here...
The bus tour in the morning is great as you get to see a bit of everything and it's quite easy going, with a few stops. Do the "Top of the Rock" at Rockafella Centre here as you get a better viewpoint I think than Empire State.
I did the helicopter optional "New York, New York" which was great but is only about 22 minutes and $235USD which is quite pricey! Only 3 people in my tour did it.
Free Afternoon/Evening: This afternoon two of us went to Soho to explore as we wouldn't otherwise get to go. Interesting experience although it can feel a bit scary at night.
Day 3: NYC. Statue of Liberty this morning, good trip on the ferry. Unfortunately in winter the ferry timetables don't allow for you to get off at Ellis Island, so you can only stop to look on the ferry. The Statue of Liberty tickets Contiki gives you are to climb up to the platform (at the feet of the statue), NOT to the crown of the platform so be aware.
This afternoon is the food cart tour, which was amazing!! Pretty good value at around $45USD as you get 5 meals and a drink, you'll be rolling home!
Dinner tonight is not included at the Tapas Bar and is pretty tasty but expensive for America!
The nightlife bar tonight was pretty bad (The Mean Fiddler). A gross backpackers bar with extremely pricey drinks ($9 for a Midori and Sprite, about $4-8 in Australia depending on where you go). This place was pretty sticky and gross, a lot of our group either didn't go or left early like us.
Day 4: NYC.
Free day in the tour! Today two of us got up early as we weren't hungover and went to the TKTS stand under the Spiderman stairs in Times Square and got half price tickets for a Broadway show (Mamma Mia). Go at 11am for Matinée shows on weekends, and 3pm for all night shows and have a few options ready. You can't split the bill here or you can't get seats together. After this we walked around Times Square/5th Avenue area and then went home for a nap before going to Empire State Building (You get given a ticket on day 1) then home to bed.
Must suggest SHAKE SHACK for food in NYC!!! It's predominantly on the East Coast and is undeniably good, especially in comparison to the abundance of greasy food in the States.
Day 5: -> Las Vegas. Super early morning, meeting at 7:30am in the lobby for the bus to the airport and we had a stop over in Denver, Colorado. This is a long day of flying (8 hours I think) and in Vegas you'll be 3 hours behind the NY time so you'll be exhausted. Tonight you go to a pretty average food place (Buca Di Beppo) and meet with other tour groups doing the trip the opposite way. The food is average because it's just plates of carby food like "parmigiana" and pasta as well as a salad (If you could call it that) covered in dressing. Not much of a healthy choice here.
After this you go to a nightclub... I didn't however as I got tickets to a Cirque du Soilel show (LOVE by the Beatles, amazing if you get the chance!!) however I heard the club was ok from others who went. The Contiki "Surprise" is this night as well. It was ok from what the others say.
Day 6: Vegas.
The Buffet breakfast here is about 7/10 and literally has everything from breakfast to dessert but you only got 1 included breakfast which was a shame as this was the best of the trip. It's only about $20 for the buffet so you could easily go again.
Free day so most of us went to the Outlets. We went to the South and were very disappointed. The North ones are far better!! However we booked a limo as it was only about $10 each way for each of us each way (Same as a cab) and far more fun. We managed to tip our driver $5 to stop at the Vegas sign for a photo for us which was great as our Contiki group was so small (18 of us) and 15 people needed to sign up for the group photo for it to go ahead.
In the night most of the group went to the "Cirque" show Le Reve, which I heard was only ok. If you didn't go to this you had to make your own way to the theatre to get your 'included limo ride with champagne'. The limo does a few loops of the Strip then takes you to the club of the night "Marquee" with about 5 other Contiki groups. Most people who go out in Vegas are pretty old for clubbing, like 40+ and then over 200 of you Australians.
Wasn't that impressed with Vegas nightlife, as a basic drink was at least $20 (more with tip) and a GLASS OF TAP WATER was $8 (!!!!!!). We left after that and had a good wander of the Strip as the club was a bit disappointing.
Day 7: Vegas. Helicopter at the Grand Canyon!
It's an early morning as you get a bus to Boulder City then use Papillon Helicopters to get to the Canyon. You get a champagne breakfast, which was really lunch at about 10:30am (Sandwich, chips, soft drink, champagne and a brownie), with only about 5-10 minutes to spare to wonder around the small rock and get photos after eating. Frustrating it worked out that way. We went to the South part of the canyon I think, which was in Arizona. If I had my time again, I would have found a way to get out to the Canyon to go on the SkyWalk and have a better look around. The helicopter was great though!
After this you have a free afternoon so we wondered around the inside of the casino's on the strip and went to SHAKE SHACK as we found a newly opened one!
The nightclub tonight has a good view but we decided not to go in the end as it was an early morning the next day for San Fran and we wanted to get a good rest.
Day 8: -> San Fran.
Another early morning for a flight to San Fran (Oakland airport) which was short and sweet thank goodness!
When we land we did our bus tour for the bulk of the day (probably until 3pm?) where we stopped at a few places like pier 39 (good clam chowder!). It was a good tour overall.
Dinner tonight was an included one, at APPLEBEES. Awful awful food! Contiki should really consider changing this as there are fantastic restaurants and Applebees gave me a bowl of dressing with some pieces of lettuce in it to be frank.
We went on a catamaran trip tonight on the water, freezing but amazing!! Be careful of dropping your phones and cameras in the water.
The nightlife tonight was at a duelling piano bar, we didn't go as we went on an epic Target excursion (We'd heard it was totally different in the States and we weren't disappointed!) but I heard the bar was great!
Day 9: San Fran. This was the designated day for people who wanted to/had booked already to go to Alcatraz. I didn't go and I kind of wish I had.
I did the optional bike tour over the golden gate bridge (22km!!!) and it was tough but amazing! Our tour guide was ...interesting. He was young and in a group of all girls so was doing it tough fitness wise as we weren't very fast haha!
Dinner tonight is an included Chinese meal in Chinatown. It was pretty good although there was no honey chicken, we were absolutely stuffed with food!! There was nightlife after this but we went to Cheesecake Factory in Union Square instead and it was amazing!
Day 10: San Fran. A free day so we did our laundry at a cool place, then some went to the shops, some went and got drunk in a park and people watched (?), and we went to check out some touristy things like the Painted Ladies in Alamo Park and Lombard St (The crooked st!), after this we found some cheap souvenir shops down near fisherman's wharf, and we had some seafood for dinner. After this we went walking around Fisherman's wharf and got an Uber to the hotel.
Day 11: -> LA. After our short flight we had our bus tour around LA (The best way to get around as LA is really spread out). We had an hour stop in Venice Beach (Too long, as it was almost lunch time and we were told Lunch was at the next stop, although not included). We then stopped at Santa Monica but only for 1.5 hours (Not long enough! Especially as this was the lunch stop so after that there was only a little time to walk down to the pier and that was it :( We also stopped in Hollywood which was good as we had a good look around.
There was some nightlife but I didn't go as we had Disneyland the next day.
Day 12: LA. Disneyland Optional Day. It's a super long day so be prepared. The bus company is Lux buses, and because Anaheim is so far away its about a 45 minute trip each way. Warning, you will not be able to see the fireworks which is disappointing but oh well (The bus picks you up at 8pm). No nightlife tonight that I know of.
Day 13: A free day or Universal Studios Optional.
We went to Warner Bros Studios tour this day instead which was great, then got the train back to Hollywood on the way home.
Included dinner tonight at the hotel which is ok. Nightlife tonight is the Pub Crawl. A bit disappointing to be honest. You only go to crappy bars/pubs like backpackers places that I can't believe they even asked for ID hahaha!
This is where I went completely off our tour guide as he took one of the girls home with him and lied about it to everyone else.
Day 14: End of the tour! Really nothing happens today as you don't technically see anybody from tour, except that most of us arranged to meet up for breakfast this morning.
Optionals I did:
New York Helicopter $235
NYC Food Cart tour $45
Grand Canyon Helicopter $366
Vegas Club money ($30 to some sleazy club promoter who didn't look older than 17 - regret)
San Fran Bike Tour $45
Disneyland + Transfers (2 parks) $179
Hollywood club crawl $22.
I did absolutely everything I wanted to on optionals which was great. I was disappointed with our tour guide as I found him to be really pushy about the nightlife and drinking, and we could tell he was really disappointed to get a group which was small and not many partiers. He continually would say things like "I wish more people came out last night... you missed a great chance to bond", not everyone want to be hungover all day on an expensive holiday and this needs to be respected. I found him to be sleezy and he asked for "between $50 and $100" even though the Contiki suggests $3 a day for great service. To be honest, in our group of 3 we gave $20 each as it was the end of the trip and we weren't impressed. Others gave up to $120 (!!!) and regretted it later that night when he took home someone and acted quite sleezy. Overall, I enjoyed the trip and make great life long friends but probably will be deterred from all Contiki's due to the hassling about drinking/partying and our Tour guide trying to bully everyone into doing heaps of optionals to get his commission money.

I was not overly happy with the tour, I believe if I put some thought and research into it I could have worked out a better program and for cheaper. Although you pay contiki straight up it really is just your hotels flights and transfers some cities you will get a public transport card only worth a few bucks they tell you there are a lot of inclusions but there really isn't . It is good to be in a group as you meet lots of new great people and feel safer. Don't get me wrong it was great but do your homework you may be able to do it better exactly how you want it. Also don't be fooled by Contiki excursions you can arrange your own that are just as good for a cheaper price the states can be expensive and don't be afraid to do your own thing without the group.

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Jayme

Traveled 8/21/2013 6:49:09 AM

Awesome Adventure

This tour was great, you got plenty of time in the greatest cities in the US. The flights were a great way to gain extra time, but the group connection/bonding time was lost by not having a coach.
The hotels are a bit better than what they are normally for a Contiki, as mentioned by our tour manager, they are more 3.5 - 4, which they really were.
You got plenty of time to do your own thing as well as planned activities. Made life long friends on this trip.
Disneyland, Universial... all arranged and transfers provided!

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Gillett2

Traveled 12/1/2012 3:29:57 AM

Best of USA

A great tour and had an amazing guide too. We saw the best of what these four cities had to offer, thanks Contiki

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MaddieMiller

Traveled 2/19/2015 10:43:50 AM

Interesting first travelling experience but I probably wouldn't Contiki again

Day 1: NYC. The meet up meeting where you just get talked at by your tour guide goes for a few hours, get comfortable!! This needs to be shorter, or given to us by email or something before the first night. Most of us wanted to get to activities, not waste time listening to a lot of stuff we may have already known. This time would be great for some team bonding/getting to know each other activities or something!
Dinner in Times Square (included) is quite good, however, because you haven't yet met anyone, it can be a bit difficult to meet many people yet as you're all sitting on different tables. The bar we went to this night was great, really chilled out and pretty cheap! Good to start getting to know the group.
Day 2: NYC. The breakfast place in New York is pretty damn shitty, "Marche Madison", this could probably be changed with literally ANYTHING else in Manhattan and it would be an improvement. Too bad the most breakfasts on this tour are all four days in NYC here...
The bus tour in the morning is great as you get to see a bit of everything and it's quite easy going, with a few stops. Do the "Top of the Rock" at Rockafella Centre here as you get a better viewpoint I think than Empire State.
I did the helicopter optional "New York, New York" which was great but is only about 22 minutes and $235USD which is quite pricey! Only 3 people in my tour did it.
Free Afternoon/Evening: This afternoon two of us went to Soho to explore as we wouldn't otherwise get to go. Interesting experience although it can feel a bit scary at night.
Day 3: NYC. Statue of Liberty this morning, good trip on the ferry. Unfortunately in winter the ferry timetables don't allow for you to get off at Ellis Island, so you can only stop to look on the ferry. The Statue of Liberty tickets Contiki gives you are to climb up to the platform (at the feet of the statue), NOT to the crown of the platform so be aware.
This afternoon is the food cart tour, which was amazing!! Pretty good value at around $45USD as you get 5 meals and a drink, you'll be rolling home!
Dinner tonight is not included at the Tapas Bar and is pretty tasty but expensive for America!
The nightlife bar tonight was pretty bad (The Mean Fiddler). A gross backpackers bar with extremely pricey drinks ($9 for a Midori and Sprite, about $4-8 in Australia depending on where you go). This place was pretty sticky and gross, a lot of our group either didn't go or left early like us.
Day 4: NYC.
Free day in the tour! Today two of us got up early as we weren't hungover and went to the TKTS stand under the Spiderman stairs in Times Square and got half price tickets for a Broadway show (Mamma Mia). Go at 11am for Matinée shows on weekends, and 3pm for all night shows and have a few options ready. You can't split the bill here or you can't get seats together. After this we walked around Times Square/5th Avenue area and then went home for a nap before going to Empire State Building (You get given a ticket on day 1) then home to bed.
Must suggest SHAKE SHACK for food in NYC!!! It's predominantly on the East Coast and is undeniably good, especially in comparison to the abundance of greasy food in the States.
Day 5: -> Las Vegas. Super early morning, meeting at 7:30am in the lobby for the bus to the airport and we had a stop over in Denver, Colorado. This is a long day of flying (8 hours I think) and in Vegas you'll be 3 hours behind the NY time so you'll be exhausted. Tonight you go to a pretty average food place (Buca Di Beppo) and meet with other tour groups doing the trip the opposite way. The food is average because it's just plates of carby food like "parmigiana" and pasta as well as a salad (If you could call it that) covered in dressing. Not much of a healthy choice here.
After this you go to a nightclub... I didn't however as I got tickets to a Cirque du Soilel show (LOVE by the Beatles, amazing if you get the chance!!) however I heard the club was ok from others who went. The Contiki "Surprise" is this night as well. It was ok from what the others say.
Day 6: Vegas.
The Buffet breakfast here is about 7/10 and literally has everything from breakfast to dessert but you only got 1 included breakfast which was a shame as this was the best of the trip. It's only about $20 for the buffet so you could easily go again.
Free day so most of us went to the Outlets. We went to the South and were very disappointed. The North ones are far better!! However we booked a limo as it was only about $10 each way for each of us each way (Same as a cab) and far more fun. We managed to tip our driver $5 to stop at the Vegas sign for a photo for us which was great as our Contiki group was so small (18 of us) and 15 people needed to sign up for the group photo for it to go ahead.
In the night most of the group went to the "Cirque" show Le Reve, which I heard was only ok. If you didn't go to this you had to make your own way to the theatre to get your 'included limo ride with champagne'. The limo does a few loops of the Strip then takes you to the club of the night "Marquee" with about 5 other Contiki groups. Most people who go out in Vegas are pretty old for clubbing, like 40+ and then over 200 of you Australians.
Wasn't that impressed with Vegas nightlife, as a basic drink was at least $20 (more with tip) and a GLASS OF TAP WATER was $8 (!!!!!!). We left after that and had a good wander of the Strip as the club was a bit disappointing.
Day 7: Vegas. Helicopter at the Grand Canyon!
It's an early morning as you get a bus to Boulder City then use Papillon Helicopters to get to the Canyon. You get a champagne breakfast, which was really lunch at about 10:30am (Sandwich, chips, soft drink, champagne and a brownie), with only about 5-10 minutes to spare to wonder around the small rock and get photos after eating. Frustrating it worked out that way. We went to the South part of the canyon I think, which was in Arizona. If I had my time again, I would have found a way to get out to the Canyon to go on the SkyWalk and have a better look around. The helicopter was great though!
After this you have a free afternoon so we wondered around the inside of the casino's on the strip and went to SHAKE SHACK as we found a newly opened one!
The nightclub tonight has a good view but we decided not to go in the end as it was an early morning the next day for San Fran and we wanted to get a good rest.
Day 8: -> San Fran.
Another early morning for a flight to San Fran (Oakland airport) which was short and sweet thank goodness!
When we land we did our bus tour for the bulk of the day (probably until 3pm?) where we stopped at a few places like pier 39 (good clam chowder!). It was a good tour overall.
Dinner tonight was an included one, at APPLEBEES. Awful awful food! Contiki should really consider changing this as there are fantastic restaurants and Applebees gave me a bowl of dressing with some pieces of lettuce in it to be frank.
We went on a catamaran trip tonight on the water, freezing but amazing!! Be careful of dropping your phones and cameras in the water.
The nightlife tonight was at a duelling piano bar, we didn't go as we went on an epic Target excursion (We'd heard it was totally different in the States and we weren't disappointed!) but I heard the bar was great!
Day 9: San Fran. This was the designated day for people who wanted to/had booked already to go to Alcatraz. I didn't go and I kind of wish I had.
I did the optional bike tour over the golden gate bridge (22km!!!) and it was tough but amazing! Our tour guide was ...interesting. He was young and in a group of all girls so was doing it tough fitness wise as we weren't very fast haha!
Dinner tonight is an included Chinese meal in Chinatown. It was pretty good although there was no honey chicken, we were absolutely stuffed with food!! There was nightlife after this but we went to Cheesecake Factory in Union Square instead and it was amazing!
Day 10: San Fran. A free day so we did our laundry at a cool place, then some went to the shops, some went and got drunk in a park and people watched (?), and we went to check out some touristy things like the Painted Ladies in Alamo Park and Lombard St (The crooked st!), after this we found some cheap souvenir shops down near fisherman's wharf, and we had some seafood for dinner. After this we went walking around Fisherman's wharf and got an Uber to the hotel.
Day 11: -> LA. After our short flight we had our bus tour around LA (The best way to get around as LA is really spread out). We had an hour stop in Venice Beach (Too long, as it was almost lunch time and we were told Lunch was at the next stop, although not included). We then stopped at Santa Monica but only for 1.5 hours (Not long enough! Especially as this was the lunch stop so after that there was only a little time to walk down to the pier and that was it :( We also stopped in Hollywood which was good as we had a good look around.
There was some nightlife but I didn't go as we had Disneyland the next day.
Day 12: LA. Disneyland Optional Day. It's a super long day so be prepared. The bus company is Lux buses, and because Anaheim is so far away its about a 45 minute trip each way. Warning, you will not be able to see the fireworks which is disappointing but oh well (The bus picks you up at 8pm). No nightlife tonight that I know of.
Day 13: A free day or Universal Studios Optional.
We went to Warner Bros Studios tour this day instead which was great, then got the train back to Hollywood on the way home.
Included dinner tonight at the hotel which is ok. Nightlife tonight is the Pub Crawl. A bit disappointing to be honest. You only go to crappy bars/pubs like backpackers places that I can't believe they even asked for ID hahaha!
This is where I went completely off our tour guide as he took one of the girls home with him and lied about it to everyone else.
Day 14: End of the tour! Really nothing happens today as you don't technically see anybody from tour, except that most of us arranged to meet up for breakfast this morning.
Optionals I did:
New York Helicopter $235
NYC Food Cart tour $45
Grand Canyon Helicopter $366
Vegas Club money ($30 to some sleazy club promoter who didn't look older than 17 - regret)
San Fran Bike Tour $45
Disneyland + Transfers (2 parks) $179
Hollywood club crawl $22.
I did absolutely everything I wanted to on optionals which was great. I was disappointed with our tour guide as I found him to be really pushy about the nightlife and drinking, and we could tell he was really disappointed to get a group which was small and not many partiers. He continually would say things like "I wish more people came out last night... you missed a great chance to bond", not everyone want to be hungover all day on an expensive holiday and this needs to be respected. I found him to be sleezy and he asked for "between $50 and $100" even though the Contiki suggests $3 a day for great service. To be honest, in our group of 3 we gave $20 each as it was the end of the trip and we weren't impressed. Others gave up to $120 (!!!) and regretted it later that night when he took home someone and acted quite sleezy. Overall, I enjoyed the trip and make great life long friends but probably will be deterred from all Contiki's due to the hassling about drinking/partying and our Tour guide trying to bully everyone into doing heaps of optionals to get his commission money.

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MariahMac

Traveled 4/12/2016 9:42:33 AM

Best of EVERYTHING

https://mariahmac22.wordpress.com
This is a link to my blog of the my whole trip to USA!

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Jay

Traveled 4/16/2013 4:43:00 PM

Tour Manager

An awesome trip because of the company. We had a fun group - Our tour manager however sucked. Just proves, you can have a good time if you're in the right company. The added bonus was the place.